^^ Aang did manage to redirect lightning. So maybe actually producing lightning wasn't too far off in the future for him. Oh, and he used TophVision, so it's possible that he could have learned to metalbend later in life too.

As for Korra and the metalbenders, I don't think she was taken aback, she sounded more impressed to me than anything. I think it's like you said, "as though it was something she'd only heard about but never seen". She clearly knows that metalbending is a thing, but maybe her earthbending master (whoever that was) didn't teach it to her. Maybe he/she didn't know how to metalbend.

I don't know why she doesn't do any lightningbending though. Maybe she wasn't taught how to do it, but I don't see why they would have kept that from her.

Bloodbending... I don't think Katara would have taught her that. Or to anyone else for that matter... But I do think other people discovered bloodbending independently.

I always like to think of it as, since the avatar has to learn all 4 elements he/she has a lot of work on their plate. Those who only have 1 element (pretty much all benders) can devote more time to finding the unique nuances of their particular element. Like the sand benders making a tornado to power their ships. I don't think Master must imply they know everything about a subject.

Maybe think of a real world master. They have all the basics of some field of study down, and probably a lot of a very small particular area of study. Aang created his own airbending technique, the air scooter.

After watching both ATLA and LOK again, one thing I've noticed is that neither Aang nor Korra ever made use of any of the specialized bending techniques. By this, I mean, they did not use/learn any of the more powerful abilities associated with each element (Fire: Lightning, Earth: Metalbending, Water: Bloodbending, Air: unknown if any). The only possible exception to this is Aang redirecting Ozai's lightning, but I don't think that counts.

I wonder why this is the case. I know that only certain benders can perform these unique abilities (not all earthbenders can be metalbenders, waterbenders bloodbenders, etc).

Perhaps an argument could be made that Aang would never want to bloodbend (for obvious reasons). However, I think it's safe to assume that Korra would at least learn to use lightning/metalbending if she could, given that she enjoyed the physical/bending side of being the Avatar. I can't help but think that it was a deliberate choice of the writers to not give the Avatar these powers. For example, at Amon's rally, Mako sent out a bolt of lightning in trying to stop Amon from taking Tenzin's bending away. I would think Korra would have tried to do the same thing, but just couldn't. Another example is when Korra marvels at the metalbending police ("Cool, metalbenders!!"); it almost as if she just knows she can't be one of them.

All of this leads me to the conclusion that the Avatar simply cannot learn the abilities. Perhaps it's because the Avatar is meant to be more well rounded (generally master all of the four elements plus energybending) while ordinary/individual benders have the potential for greater specialization in their own element. One would think that, given Korra personality, we would have at least seen her attempt to use lightning/metalbending (and perhaps failed). Instead, we see Korra as if she just knows she can't do any of it.

The way I see it, benders of 1 element spend their entire lives concentrating on one element. Aang just simply was not as good an earthbender as Toph or as good a waterbender as Katara or as good a firebender as Zuko (in the 1 year that the show covers). Once he was an adult, I'm sure he got good enough to do advanced bending techniques.

For Korra, there's not so much of an excuse because she grew up knowing she was the Avatar... but I guess the White Lotus made her do 1 element at a time, so "technically", she still has less earthbending/firebending experience than Mako and Bolin and other benders of her age.

She's probably good enough to do bloodbending, but she'll probably never use it. She seems to know healing pretty well already. Aang never healed anyone.

Aang used Toph's tremor sense during ATLA. I'm not sure if it counts an an advanced ability. Guess not? We haven't seen anyone else but Lin do it.

But, yeah. With Aang:

- Metalbending had just been discovered. He didn't have time to learn during the series- Bloodbending is a moral no-no :p- Lightingbending is something even Zuko never did (during the show's span, at least). How could he teach Aang?- Air - ? ? ? ?

As for Korra, I assume that the OWL seemed to be focused on the usual traditional training. No special abilities, I guess.

When I say "can't", I mean in a physical sense. Yes bloodbending is "illegal" and she wouldn't do it, but that is irrelevant. My question is "could she?" rather than "would she?"

I forgot to think about healing/tremor sense, interesting. That kinda goes with Aang's lightning redirect. Not sure if these are "special" abilities, but maybe.

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nukilik -

Everything you say makes sense when it comes to Aang - so much was going on so I think the argument that he didn't have time is legitimate. However, Korra confuses me. Perhaps the White Lotus didn't try to teach her the special abilities, but wouldn't you think that she would at least asked about them (like when she saw Mako use lightning: "hey, can you teach me that??"). We never see her once inquire about how/if she can learn metal/lightning bending, something which is in conflict with her personality. Remember how she was just dying to learn airbending? I think she'd want to learn all the advanced abilities just as much.

I think with enough experience and time, they could have done it. I don't think it would make much sense for the avatar to be physically incapable of doing specialized bending.

It sounds like it's just an experience based thing. Later in life Aang may have learnt basic metalbending from Toph, probably would have stayed away from bloodbending and presumably learnt how to bend lightning at an late age.

But a thing that kind of gets in the way of all that, is that most of Korra's friends would be essentially redundant in a fight, seeing as Korra can do what they do much more easily and effectively.

I assumed earth benders who learned the seismic sense style use it all the time when they bent. And that by the time of Korra, benders like Lin would use a mix of that and the traditional. I dunno anymore, the promise really skewed my perception of metal bending and seismic sense. I wouldn't count the sense as a special skill, but I would the lightning redirection.

IIRC (from reading The Promise) - Toph recognized that only certain people were capable of becoming metalbenders when she opened her school. In other words, there are some earthbenders who simply cannot bend metal.

So, I don't think this is a question of "just spending enough time learning" and eventually you can do it. It seems that certain people have these abilities and others don't.

I'm still iffy on lightning redirection. I'm not even sure if it requires firebending to do. Iroh said he developed it by studying waterbenders. Theoretically, anyone could take in the lightning, let it flow through them in the proper way, and then release it. Seems like it has more to do with energy flow. He even said "you have no control over it, you are just its guide." So in reality, lightning redirection isn't a form of "bending" at all, as that implies a degree of control.

Everything you say makes sense when it comes to Aang - so much was going on so I think the argument that he didn't have time is legitimate. However, Korra confuses me. Perhaps the White Lotus didn't try to teach her the special abilities, but wouldn't you think that she would at least asked about them (like when she saw Mako use lightning: "hey, can you teach me that??"). We never see her once inquire about how/if she can learn metal/lightning bending, something which is in conflict with her personality. Remember how she was just dying to learn airbending? I think she'd want to learn all the advanced abilities just as much.

Just seems like she knows she can't learn them at all.

Oh, yeah. I agree it's a bit weird in Korra's case. Not so much that she doesn't know, but doesn't really seem to try to learn it. Like you said, it's as if she knew she couldn't.

Then again, could be just the writers avoiding something that wouldn't favor the narrative they wanted for the season, if you know what I mean. Keeping Korra from mastering metal and lightining kinda makes sense in order to make Lin and Mako even more... relevant? XD

Anyway, with three more seasons of Korra on the way (and without such an incredibly tight plot), AND with great chances of an advanced "Air" form being explored, we'll likely have more basis to discuss this, if not a direct answer. If by the end of book 4 she has never done any, then it's pretty safe to assume she can't. I'm actually interested in knowing now. Nice thread topic

Speaking of advanced air forms... what about running at incredibly fast speeds? Can all airbenders do that?

If Korra takes a fieldtrip to the air temples, I want her to find some cool techniques! Tenzin doesn't fight that much as it is, so I think it would be ok for Korra to show some cool airbending moves. There's no risk of her upstaging the other characters' abilities.

^I would assume that all Airbenders could do that, it's just them decreasing air resistance and giving themselves an extra boost.

Logged

Keeper of the mural of Earth Kingdom Avatars from 103, the theory Ty Lee is descended from Air Nomads, Ty Lee's "At least I'm different now!" the theory that Pema is Ty Lee's daughter, Ikki's grey eyes, Mako's amber eyes, and Ikki's quote about the best way to win a boy's heart from 105.

Everything you say makes sense when it comes to Aang - so much was going on so I think the argument that he didn't have time is legitimate. However, Korra confuses me. Perhaps the White Lotus didn't try to teach her the special abilities, but wouldn't you think that she would at least asked about them (like when she saw Mako use lightning: "hey, can you teach me that??"). We never see her once inquire about how/if she can learn metal/lightning bending, something which is in conflict with her personality. Remember how she was just dying to learn airbending? I think she'd want to learn all the advanced abilities just as much.

Just seems like she knows she can't learn them at all.

Oh, yeah. I agree it's a bit weird in Korra's case. Not so much that she doesn't know, but doesn't really seem to try to learn it. Like you said, it's as if she knew she couldn't.

Then again, could be just the writers avoiding something that wouldn't favor the narrative they wanted for the season, if you know what I mean. Keeping Korra from mastering metal and lightining kinda makes sense in order to make Lin and Mako even more... relevant? XD

Anyway, with three more seasons of Korra on the way (and without such an incredibly tight plot), AND with great chances of an advanced "Air" form being explored, we'll likely have more basis to discuss this, if not a direct answer. If by the end of book 4 she has never done any, then it's pretty safe to assume she can't. I'm actually interested in knowing now. Nice thread topic

It will be cool to see an advanced air technique. I can't even think of what it could be though (thought I don't have a very creative mind). To be honest, I was surprised lightning was put in with firebending. Since lightning is a weather-related phenomenon, I would have thought that airbenders (or waterbenders) would be able to create it somehow. Stormbending ftw!

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Somewhat off-topic, but do you really think the next season won't still have the "incredibly tight plot"? From what I know, they had already written season 2 before 3 and 4 were requested by Nick. Had they known they were going to do 3 more, they could have tied them all into one big storyline with mini-finales. Not sure if that will happen for season 2 (but maybe 3 + 4).

^ Hmmmm, I assumed that after season 1 they'd be more prepared and manage the pacing and amount of story so that things would go smoother. When they wrote season 1 they really seemed to have a large idea set and had to bend themselves to this timeframe, and I'd imagine season 2 would be slightly different. But you're right, I guess.

^after book 1 they will not need to introduce the protagonists, just to develop them further. They will introduce other characters though, and will have to take time with them - some of them seem to be important to the plot, but I guess, this time, they won't have to hurry up so fast. Truth is, 23 minutes is really such a short period, it would be great if they had at least ~10 minutes more/episode. (sigh) just dreaming, I know...